192. A stress-free Thai holiday, anyone?

And now, something a little different. This morning at breakfast, I was asked by wife, if I have ever come across a book called "The Buddha and the Badass"? I said "No". Apparently it's a new book that's just recently come out and is making traction in the self-development world. How new? I don't know. But then, I got asked what I thought about the title? I told her, she being Chinese, that if I were to write summary, it would go something like this: A boring Western man living a boring 9 to 5 life, decides on a whim to go on a Thai holiday. A lush vivid paradise of beaches, sex and booze – memories for a lifetime. At some point in the story, things turn dark as his past demons masquerading as the Thai underworld reappear. Enter more sex, harder drugs and very stylish neon lights surrounded by dodgy electrical wiring in pay by the hour hotels. Somehow overnight he becomes a master of Muay Thai boxing, finds Buddha, has a shootout using a gold plated gun etched with mystical Thai sayings in Thai (for that authentic look) and wins his war against his demons. And all of it is the author's analogy for finding redemption through God, Buddha and enlightenment. So then she asked me if I would read it? I said "No". She asked me "Why not?" And I said "The title sounds like an overused cliche. And besides, why does finding Buddha require a shootout with Thai gangsters?" Anyway, it turns out that I was completely off the mark with this book and my little adventure isn't in the book. And that's okay with me. Sometimes we have to get off the path we are on to actually be able to see the path we are on. This act of getting off the path we are on, is the act of somebody on the path of enlightenment. Provided that we recognise it when we are doing it. "The Buddha and the Badass" comes with the subtitle of "The Secret Spiritual Art of Succeeding at Work." And is authored by Vishen Lakhiani, founder and CEO of MindValley, a personal growth education company with more than two million students worldwide. This guy is huge in the growth mindset world. And as he rightly points out through the archetype of the Buddha: Our illusions or delusions start in our minds. No external adventure will ever truly come close to healing the shit we got going on internally. We built the office cubicle in our minds, long before it became our reality. So it is in our minds we must change the story first. Ask yourselves this: Are you truly at the helm of your inner ship; commanding your own seas? If your answer is anything other than a strong yes, then I recommend this book as a good place to start. And then get back to enjoying good Thai hospitality the stress-free relaxing way with a five star package deal from your local travel agent. For further details: The Buddha and the Badass - The Secret Spiritual Art of Succeeding at Work, by Vishen Lakhiani ISBN 198482340X, 9781984823403